Those teams have been anything but a shoo-in to win the Stanley Cup, however. Just two clubs in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) have won the Presidents' Trophy and hoisted the Stanley Cup: the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. Two of the past six Presidents' Trophy winners have lost in the first round.

But rest assured, the Oilers are still playoff bound, thanks not only to the recent return of Draisaitl, the league-leading goal scorer who just surpassed the 50-goal mark for the fourth time in his career, but also to having about the softest landing any team could possibly hope for to close out their schedule.

Winning the Stanley Cup isn’t just an achievement—it’s an odyssey. Since 1893, this trophy has been hockey’s holy grail, passed down by legends. Every year, teams battle for a chance to etch their names in history, but only the toughest survive the ultimate test.

SAN JOSE — Former Sharks defenseman Jake Walman just turned 29 in February. But in six NHL seasons, he’s already been traded three times, sustained his share of injuries, saw his ice time fluctuate as a younger player, faced a minor disciplinary issue earlier this season, and has often been his own worst critic.

According to MoneyPuck.com, Stuart Skinner ranks No. 49 in Goals Saved Above Expected among goalies who logged at least 15 games with -3.9. Calvin Pickard ranks No. 53 with -6.9. Both goalies own sub-.900 save percentages, and Skinner is out for now after taking an unfortunate stray knee to the head last week.

Many Oilers forwards are badly off the pace of their own established performance levels, and well shy of expectations.

During his return from injury, Leon Draisaitl put on a clinic as the Edmonton Oilers defeated rival Calgary Flames 3-2, issuing a strong message postgame.

To Oilers fans, Frederic is like a Christmas present missing a key part of the assembly. He arrived at the trade deadline, but Frederic has languished under the tree ever since, nursing an ankle issue that has kept him out of action.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner. While 16 teams will punch their ticket to the playoffs, which teams have the best shot at winning it all?